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Because the actual coastal route tends to be busy with distracted tourists in the summer, can be difficult with bridges, tends to have less camping and more development, tends to have more expensive lodging because of it. Tends to be windy. Some parts of Rt 1 are off limits to bikes... Just to name a few...

Can be done, of course, but for a bike route for the general cycling community that which ACA publishes maps for, not always ideal.

Coast is a relative term. Perhaps seaboard would be more accurate a term for it. The barrier islands are coastal. It's nice to hear some parts of US 1 are off limits for bikes if those parts are the way they were when I used them last.

I've gone up the east coast four times, including twice this year. A1A along the Florida coast is very bicycle friendly (at least north of Ormond Beach) with plenty of bike paths alongside the road and little troublesome traffic. In Georgia and on into South Carolina I ride US17 and 17A. You can skirt around Savannah on Dean Forest Road. Just past Walterboro SC I take Sidney's Road to 61 and follow it to Charleston. Go across the two bridges (the Arthur Ravenel Bridge has a superb separate bicycle/pedestrian section) and downtown Charleston to 703. I take Rifle Range Road through Mt. Pleasant to the WalMart and KOA then back on 17. In North Carolina I get off on 211 to beautiful Southport and the ferry. You can skirt a lot of Wilmington by taking Oleander to 17 again.

Going along the Outer Banks will give you all the coastal cycling you could want although N or NW winds can hold you up at times. I take the Currituck ferry and the back roads into Virginia Beach and the Chesapeake Bridge/Tunnel. Be sure to call ahead for the free ride (you have to pay the toll). Then on to Lewes and the ferry to Cape Cod. I ride US9 up through NJ. It's a good bicycling road except for the bridge being rebuilt over the Mullica river. I used to scoot along the shoulder of the Garden State Parkway for the 2 1/2 miles but now detour to the west through Egg Harbor City. To get into New York City you can ride the Seastreak Ferry from Atlantic Highlands or take the train from Long Branch on the weekends or off hours.

This route is about 1400 miles to NYC from my home near Tampa/St. Pete. Taking the ACA route would be about 1850 miles. This, however, is comparing apples to oranges as the ACA route swings up through DC and Pennsylvania and generally takes more rural roads.

In November, I finished a north-south tour of the Atlantic Coast Route from DC to Charleston, but unlike Litespeed I avoided US17 whenever I could, especially through South Carolina. Much of it had no shoulder or a couple of feet of shoulder at most and I've never been comfortable riding highways without a shoulder. US17 north of Charleston doesn't have anything I would consider to be a shoulder either. In North Carolina, there was a stretch of US17 between Jacksonville and Wilmington that was excellent to ride, until I go close to Wilmington when traffic increased and the shoulder disappeared. From what I saw of US17 in the Carolinas, it seemed like the areas with the heaviest traffic usually had little to no shoulder.

Like others have written though, topography and development limit how much of the ocean you'll get to see. Much of the eastern seaboard is very flat with extensive salt marshes, sounds, and estuaries protected by long, sinuous barrier islands. These features limit the amount and location of roads. Adventure Cycling's route tries to avoid heavily trafficked roads and as a consequence it sometimes has to take a more inland route.

17 and 17A south of Charleston and Summerville SC and 17 through Wilmington NC and Savannah GA are bad bicycling stretches. Other than that I don't find 17 too bad although it certainly isn't very scenic. I scoot around those bad stretches as outlined above. The east coast is hardly the bicycling paradise the west coast is.

We plan to ride from Key West, Florida to Maine by tandem starting in April. Looking at the ACA maps, it appears that we'll have to bring camping equipment although we plan to avoid camping whenever possible.. Will we have to include cooking equipment, or can we plan on finding restaurants and convenience stores?

I only rode from DC to Charleston, but from what I remember if you plan properly and are willing to stray from Adventure Cycling's route from time to time, you shouldn't have trouble finding restaurants and/or convenience stores. However, I took the Outer Banks alternate, so I can't say anything about the mainland route through NC. I also cooked most of my meals, so I didn't necessarily look at the route from your perspective. A stash of PB & J or a jar of Nutella will help you through any hunger problems.

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indyfabz

We plan to ride from Key West, Florida to Maine by tandem starting in April. Looking at the ACA maps, it appears that we'll have to bring camping equipment although we plan to avoid camping whenever possible.. Will we have to include cooking equipment, or can we plan on finding restaurants and convenience stores?

I can get you some of the way. From Lancaster County, PA up to Lambertville, NJ you won't have much/any trouble finding places to eat and get snacks and drinks. Indoor lodging should be pretty easy if you plan your days right, although you may have to go off route a bit. There is a Best Western in New Hope, PA and the Lambertville Station Inn in Lambertville, PA. Heading north from L'Ville, there is an inn in Stockton, NJ. These places are not cheap. Expect a minimum of $100/night during the week and possibly over $200 on weekends There are also some B&Bs/inns north of New Hope, PA, but I think they are mostly on the PA side of the river. These places are VERY expensive. For example, the Black Bass Hotel, across the river from Bull's Island Recreation Area will cost you about $200/night during the week. More on the weekends. Advance reservations might also be needed as sometimes these places are used for weddings. Personally, I would avoid the PA side of the river as PA 32 is twisty, narrow and can have heavy traffic at times. There is food in Frenchtown and Mildord, NJ. There are motels and places to eat in the Philipsburg, NJ/Easton, PA area. These should be cheaper. Just off route in Delaware Water Gap, PA there is the Pocono Inn. Don’t think there is much between there and Pt. Jervis, NY area. The Cornucopia Inn and Restaurant in Godeffroy, outside of Pt. Jervis, should be relatively inexpensive, and I am sure there are places in Middletown, NY.